1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic still camera by which an image signal obtained by an imaging device is recorded, and especially, to a device which calculates a white balance control amount for adjusting a color of a color image obtained based on the image signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, for calculating a white balance control amount, there is known a device in which only pixel signals of achromatic color are extracted from all of the pixel signals forming a single image, and the white balance control amount is calculated based on the pixel signals of achromatic color. Namely, in the pixel signals of the achromatic color, pixels other than the subject image, which the photographer intends to photograph, are contained. On the other hand, there is known another device, in which a white balance control amount is calculated using all of the pixel signals forming the single image. In the latter device, similarly to the former device, pixels other than the subject image, which the photographer intends to photograph, are contained.
When a tint of an image portion of the subject to be photographed and that of an image portion other than the subject are close to each other, the white balance control amount would be proper even though pixel signals included the portion other than the subject. Conversely, when tint is drastically locally varied in the image, the white balance adjustment may not be performed properly for the subject to be photographed.